According to the rules put in place for patrons of the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, you may not go through any security checkpoints into any airline terminals if you are not in possession of a valid boarding pass. However, if you are the parent of an unaccompanied minor wishing to meet your child, or children, at their gate of arrival, you are the exception. For this to happen, you must notify the airline on which your child is traveling at least 24-hours prior to the flight. This allows the airline to take the proper precautions in caring for your child and arrange for you to accompany your child to and from the gate.
Parents of an unaccompanied minor must get gate passes from the ticket counter of the airline. The ticketing agent will need to see proper photo identification, such as your driver's license, valid passport or state-issued photo ID card. It further helps to have a copy of your child's flight itinerary and a copy of his or her birth certificate with you to show the ticketing agent. Provided you have all of the necessary paperwork and identification you will be given a gate pass to meet your child at the gate.
Once you've been issued a gate pass, you must follow airport procedure as though you are a ticketed passenger getting ready for departure. Minneapolis/St. Paul airport rules require you to go through security like a regular passenger, which means removing your shoes, emptying your pockets and placing your personal items in a bin to be x-rayed and searched. You must go through the metal detector and be able to present the proper identification to security guards. Once you've made it through security you can wait in the terminal of your child's arrival gate until he or she lands safely.
